Province opens new session of the Legislative Assembly with Speech from the Throne focused on Securing the Future

CANADA, March 25 - The second session of the Sixty-seventh General Assembly of Prince Edward Island opened today with the reading of the Speech from the Throne by His Honour, Dr. Wassim Salamoun, Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island.

This marks His Honour’s first Speech from the Throne since being sworn in as the 43rd Lieutenant Governor in October 2024.

The speech outlines government’s priorities for the coming months, with a focus on improving access to healthcare, supporting businesses and workers, and making life more affordable for Islanders.

"We begin this session at a pivotal moment for our province, our country, and the world. Islanders, like all Canadians, are facing economic uncertainty, rising costs, and trade instability that create new challenges for our province,” said Hon. Rob Lantz, Premier of Prince Edward Island. “Our closest friend and ally is threatening our sovereignty, intentionally wreaking havoc on our economy, and ignoring the long history we have of working together, side-by-side, for the benefit of both our nations; but here we are, and as we’ve done many times before—as Islanders and as Canadians—we will band together and get through this, together."

Highlights from the Speech include:

Securing our Economy

• Implement Protecting Our Future, a tariff response plan to support affected businesses and diversify markets;
• Reduce interprovincial trade barriers through new legislation;
• Double the number of trade missions and increase support for exporters;
• Explore the development of a shipping port and critical trade infrastructure; and
• Introduce targeted tax cuts to help businesses reinvest and grow.

Securing our Workforce

• Partner with industry to launch sector-specific workforce strategies;
• Increase access to training, upskilling, and reskilling programs;
• Expand the George Coles and Marion L. Reid bursaries to reach more Islanders; and
• Enhance tax credits and increase the basic personal exemption to help workers keep more of their earnings.

Securing our Healthcare System

• Open two new patient medical homes in 2025, affiliating 10,000 more Islanders with a primary care provider and continue to expand and open new homes in the future;
• Expand Pharmacy Plus to include lab work and assessment for more common ailments;
• Explore community-based surgical models to reduce wait times and free up hospital capacity;
• Launch a Practice Ready Assessment Centre to support internationally trained physicians; and
• Open the UPEI Faculty of Medicine this fall to train doctors right here in PEI.

Securing our Infrastructure

• Push for long-term federal infrastructure funding to support roads and bridges;
• Streamline permitting through AI to reduce construction delays and red tape;
• Complete high-speed internet access for the final 2,800 homes and expand cell service across PEI;
• Introduce a new Provincial Energy Strategy to guide long-term planning and energy resilience; and
• Continue building over 480 social housing units and embrace the Housing First model to address homelessness.

Securing our Communities

• Providing increased funding to municipalities while reviewing the Municipal Government Act and implementing a new funding formula; 
• Creating a Municipal Infrastructure Bank program to help fund essential community infrastructure; 
• Increase law enforcement resources by creating a Joint Enforcement Team to combat illicit drug trafficking; and
• Introducing new short-term and long-term measures for land protection and land use planning. 

“My government is focused on delivering real results in the areas that matter most,” said Hon. Rob Lantz, Premier of Prince Edward Island. “We’re working to improve healthcare, strengthen the economy, and ease the cost of living so that all Islanders can feel more secure about their future. Collectively, the plan outlined is all focused on securing our future as a province.”

The speech also outlines key initiatives the Lantz Government will continue to advance in areas such as housing, mental health, community safety, protecting land and shorelines, and supporting children and youth.

For more information visit: Speech from the Throne

Media contact:
Emily Blue
Office of the Premier 
emilyblue@gov.pe.ca